The Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Score

J Med Chem. 2019 Nov 14;62(21):9824-9836. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01220. Epub 2019 Oct 25.

Abstract

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain from the toxic side effects of drugs and exogenous molecules. However, it is crucial that medications developed for neurological disorders cross into the brain in therapeutic concentrations. Understanding the BBB interaction with drug molecules based on physicochemical property space can guide effective and efficient drug design. An algorithm, designated "BBB Score", composed of stepwise and polynomial piecewise functions, is herein proposed for predicting BBB penetration based on five physicochemical descriptors: number of aromatic rings, heavy atoms, MWHBN (a descriptor comprising molecular weight, hydrogen bond donor, and hydrogen bond acceptors), topological polar surface area, and pKa. On the basis of statistical analyses of our results, the BBB Score outperformed (AUC = 0.86) currently employed MPO approaches (MPO, AUC = 0.61; MPO_V2, AUC = 0.67). Initial evaluation of physicochemical property space using the BBB Score is a valuable addition to currently available drug design algorithms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Blood-Brain Barrier / metabolism*
  • Central Nervous System Agents / metabolism*
  • Central Nervous System Agents / pharmacology
  • Computational Biology*
  • Databases, Pharmaceutical
  • Drug Design
  • Permeability

Substances

  • Central Nervous System Agents